BROAD Town is to have its own brewery again more than a century after the last one closed.

Ales are being brewed in the coach house of what was once the home of the Hart family, who ran Broad Town Brewery in the 19th Century.

Jason Bayliffe, 50, who moved to the village six years ago, has revived the name with the new micro-brewery set up with his friend Anthony Davies.

He said: “We found out there used to be a popular brewery in Royal Wootton Bassett and it was run by the Hart family. It kept running in my head and my wife Vincenza decided to look at the history of our home and the town.”

Jason already had an interest in brewing, but when he found that he lived in the same home as the former owner of the original brewery there was only one thing he wanted to do.

“From the day we moved in here we always felt that there was something special, but knowing there used to be that in the town it made me keen to open up the brewery again,” he explained.

Network Rail senior projects engineer Jason and computer engineer Anthony used their skills to build the brewery from scratch using parts that other firms had scrapped.

They plan to produce an IPA, a porter, a mild and a pilsner and they are already working on their first batch of ales ready for the opening on November 30 -116 years after the original firm closed.

They have invited Don Cannon, the great grandson of the original brewery’s founder Samuel Hart to Thorncross to do the honours.

Jason said: “I started putting Facebook posts in different groups that were local to see if I could track down anyone in the Hart family. That’s when I found Perri Blackmore who is the great great granddaughter of Samuel. I asked her if her father would like to open the brewery because he was the great grandson of the original owner.”

Perri, 54, of Lyneham was delighted: “I think it is fantastic we are absolutely thrilled as soon as I saw it I thought it would become something great.

“I just wish my dad was in better health so he could appreciate it more but whatever we can do to help we will. He got a bit tearful but didn’t say much, as a family we are thrilled and it is sort of remembering Sam and honouring that family memory.”

Her family almost handed an original poster and advertisement for the brewery to the Royal Wootton Bassett Museum.

She said: “We almost gave it away but it felt right to give it to Jason.

“Now it is us handing the torch over to them and he has our total support.”